Didn't completely clean up some of the malware it detected. Real-time protection doesn't take action until just before a threat launches.

Bottom Line

Most free antivirus utilities are good at either malware removal or malware blocking, but not both. Ad-Aware Free proved very effective in both areas, almost as effective as Ad-Aware Pro. This is a great free antivirus solution for non-commercial use.

Successful Malware Blocking
The paid Ad-Aware Pro includes multiple layers of protection to keep malware from invading a clean system. Its network blocking module prevents access to known malware-infested URLs; it blocks download of malicious files, scans all files on access, and checks every file before launch. Ad-Aware Free just has one element of that protection collection, but that one element proved very effective.

When I tried to re-download my current collection of malware samples, Ad-Aware Pro blocked a bit over 60 percent of them. Just one was blocked as a malicious URL. The rest were caught when the download finished. But Ad-Aware Free does not include malicious URL detection or scanning of files upon download, so it didn't prevent downloading those samples.

My next step in testing was to open a folder containing already-downloaded instances of all the samples. Ad-Aware Pro's on-access scanning immediately wiped out almost 90 percent of these samples. Ad-Aware Free didn't take any action until I tried to launch the samples, but it wiped out the same files before they could actually launch. Even with just that single layer of protection it was very effective.

Comodo outdid all the competition, even the paid products, at blocking installation of commercial keyloggers. It detected every single one and scored 9.3 points. However, Ad-Aware's 8.1 points is still quite good. Still, anyone who has the full access necessary to install a commercial keylogger on your computer could also turn off your antivirus. I celebrate these high scores without actually letting them affect the final ratings much.

Like the Pro edition, Ad-Aware Free aced the rootkit blocking test with a perfect 10 points. Spyware Doctor was close behind with 9.9, and even considering commercial products Comodo's 9.4 points was the next best score. As for scareware blocking, Comodo's 9.2 points is the best score among free or paid products, but Ad-Aware Free's 8.9 is very close. For full details on how I calculate malware blocking scores, see How We Test Malware Blocking.

Minimal Bonus Features
Like the Pro edition, Ad-Aware Free includes a page of "extras." The TrackSweep browsing history cleaner works just the same as in the Pro edition. In simple mode, you press a big button to clean up traces. In advanced mode, you can pick and choose which history elements and which browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera and Chrome) will be affected.

As for the toolbox of expert utilities, those aren't available in this free edition. You can still send suspicious files directly to Ad-Aware, but the process analysis tool, hosts file editor, and AutoStart Manager are locked up. That's not entirely a bad thing. In my testing of the Pro edition, I found that uninformed use of the AutoStart Manager can render your computer unbootable.

A Clear Winner
Panda, Comodo, and Ad-Aware Free are all quite effective when it comes to keeping malware out of a clean system. Each has its strengths. Panda got the best overall score, Comodo beat the others in the keylogger and scareware tests, and Ad-Aware Free aced the rootkit test. But of these three only Ad-Aware Free also attained very good scores for malware removal. No other free product did well in both areas. Ad-Aware Free Internet Security 9.0 is our new Editors' Choice for free antivirus.

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Neil Rubenking served as vice president and president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years when the IBM PC was brand new. He was present at the formation of the Association of Shareware Professionals, and served on its board of directors. In 1986, PC Magazine brought Neil on board to handle the torrent of Turbo Pascal tips submitted by readers. By 1990, he had become PC Magazine's technical editor, and a coast-to-coast telecommuter. His "User to User" column supplied readers with tips...
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